


Vacation Policy

by Northland



Category: Iron Man (movie-verse)
Genre: Community: cliche_bingo, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-15
Updated: 2009-11-15
Packaged: 2017-10-02 22:34:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Northland/pseuds/Northland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You'll never tell me where you spend your vacation, will you?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vacation Policy

"Trekking in the Himalayas?"

"No." Pepper collects her iPhone and a stack of files from her desk and drops them in her messenger bag. After her phone data and Megan Fox's were inexplicably switched, she learned to leave nothing behind at the end of the day she can't afford to have tampered with. Tony's sense of humour is not above practical jokes.  
    
Tony scratches the Friday-night stubble creeping across the gap between that ridiculous soulpatch and the sides of his mouth. "Burning Man."   
    
"I believe you have your idea of a vacation confused with mine. Also, that takes place in September."  

He sighs more dramatically than Gloria Swanson and props his bare feet up on the arm of the leather couch. "You'll never tell me where you spend your vacation, will you?"  

"No, because that would defeat its entire purpose." The setting sun is overwhelming the window's dark tint, pouring golddust into the air. In this light, Tony looks almost healthy. Pepper stuffs another file into her bag and tells her hindbrain to shut up. She's not his mother or his nurse. Most of the time.  

Ever since she started working as Tony Stark's assistant, Pepper's defended her annual week off with ferocity. She had to threaten to quit to get the first one, but she got it. It's always in mid-May, after the end-of-fiscal-year insanity and while Tony is usually too exhausted from his post-birthday party crash to get into (much) trouble. This year's celebration involved a champagne fountain ten feet high -- it took her weeks to source a vendor -- and a wall of fireworks.    
    
This year is also her first vacation since Tony decided to build himself a superhero suit. Pepper has firmly gagged the part of herself that says it's too dangerous for her to take a break right now. What if another crazed metal man attacks the Stark Industries lab? What if Tony gets hurt? What if--  

What if she goes insane? She needs these six days and seven nights with no cell phone, laptop, Blackberry, cable TV, or any other possible means for Tony Stark to invade her peace and quiet.

But this time, before she leaves she slips Happy a card with ten digits on it and the words "In case of emergency only" -- emergency underlined twice. She hopes he has the sense not to let on he knows anything.  
    
*  

The flight out from L.A. is always just about the best part of the whole vacation. Pepper leans back in her first-class seat and savours the sensation of escape, of getting away with it. For three hours of total solitude she drinks the contents of several miniature vodka bottles, ignores the lawyer across the aisle trying to flirt with her, and immerses herself in trashy magazines. But she has to give the current issue of _Us_ back to the flight attendant -- the cover story features Tony's last date with the Laker Girls.

*  
    
At exactly 7:59 next Monday morning, Pepper walks into the Stark house and greets Jarvis.

"No hello for me?" Tony leans against the fridge, drinking orange juice from the carton, and Pepper hides her surprise by turning to pick up her laptop case. Tony's never up at this hour. He's either still in bed (if alone) or in his workroom (if an overnight guest is on the premises). She scans the parts of his body left uncovered by boxers and undershirt. He doesn't seem to have added any cuts, bruises, or abrasions since she left.

"You look good. Well-rested." He leans in close and examines her nose. "No new freckles. You weren't at the beach."

"Ever heard of sunscreen?" She gives him one raised eyebrow. "It prevents skin cancer."

"So you do go somewhere sunny."   
    
"I didn't say that." Pepper is almost tempted to drop Tony a hint, but that would only ensure he never, ever stopped interrogating her about it again. The metaphor of "terrier" and "bone" is insufficient.   
    
"Did you have a nice time?"   
    
Pepper opens her mouth to say "Of course, you weren't there" and then realizes he sounds... sincere. So she gives him the truth. "I did. Thanks."  

"If it takes a week without me to make you realize how good you've got it, I'm okay with that." He raises the juice carton to her and she taps her travel mug of coffee against it in a toast. "Welcome home."

"It's good to be back," Pepper says, and for this moment she means it.

* * *


End file.
